The work-at-home path may seem like the best of both worlds; earn a career without the hassle of a commute to a job. But working at home isn’t always rainbows and unicorns, so how do you know that it’s the right choice for you? We asked several experts to share with us how they decided that this was the right option for them. Their stories may give you some hints and tips on how to make your decision.
Hilary Young
My story about working from home actually started during my first pregnancy. I had been working for a company that wasn’t very kind or flexible with me while pregnant and the final straw was not allowing me to work from home during an ice storm when I was 7 months along. I decided to use my day off to build a website for a freelance writing business and by the end of the following week sent it around to friends to put the word out. By the time I went out on my maternity leave, I had 3 clients committed to working with me, and by the end of my leave that number was up to 5.
I decided not to go back and build my business from home. It not only allowed me to keep my overhead low when it came to business expenses, it also allowed me to keep a flexible schedule to spend time with my daughter. I’ve been in business now for a little over 2 years and have continued to grow the business while working from home. I have a great office space in my house, which I prefer over a coffee shop because of the peace and quiet. And if I have to meet with clients, I always offer to go meet them, which also helps me to get to know them more intimately because your office space can reveal a lot about who you are!
Julia Kent
- When I realized that I am someone who works best when I have a higher degree of control over my time, I realized that my productivity would be much stronger if I worked at home. I can get much more done in a short period of time when I’m not commuting or juggling outside day care.
- When my third child was born, I stayed home for about eighteen months while freelancing, but took an out-of-the-house job eventually. As my child’s special needs began to emerge, the constraints of someone else’s schedule put me between a rock and a hard place. My husband’s job ramped up in terms of hours and time demands at the same time our son’s issues worsened. Finding a way to be at home and to expand my business was crucial, so I took the leap.
- Finding in-home child care we could trust was key to making the decision to stay at home and be successful. We used online agencies like Care.com to find someone who was the perfect fit, and as a result, I’ve been able to expand my business, with more than 2500% growth since 2012. Knowing my youngest is in great hands while I work and having a third adult who helps with driving older kids has been crucial.
Ryan Biddulp
I decided a WAH position was right for me because I value freedom over everything else. I knew I could develop the discipline to be my own boss, to build a thriving business and to design a life of travel through this type of entrepreneurial venture. My love of freedom was stronger than my fear of failure so I believed that working at home would work out for me.
Gina Horkey
I started a freelance writing side hustle in 2014 when still working a 9-5 and with a baby and toddler in tow (plus a wonderful husband that’s sole job was to care for them). So here I was the breadwinner, still nursing a baby, waking up at 4:30am every day trying to build a business working out of my home. The desire for flexibility, freedom and unlimited income potential fueled these early mornings and within eight months I had put in my notice to pursue my writing and virtual assistant business full-time. Three years later, I still have a select few clients, but spend the majority of my time training up other VAs to start and grow their own work from home (or anywhere) businesses.
My decision to work at home was borne of circumstance at the time. I’d just moved from the UK to Portugal, with a fairly small savings fund to start me off. It was just me, a laptop and a WordPress blog to begin with, but it steadily turned into a full-time home working career. When I moved back to the UK in 2015, I was free to live and work wherever I wanted, without having to think where my “job” would be. The thought of working anywhere else but in my own home no longer even crosses my mind.
Ben Taylor
My decision to work at home was borne of circumstance at the time. I’d just moved from the UK to Portugal, with a fairly small savings fund to start me off. It was just me, a laptop and a WordPress blog to begin with, but it steadily turned into a full-time home working career. When I moved back to the UK in 2015, I was free to live and work wherever I wanted, without having to think where my “job” would be. The thought of working anywhere else but in my own home no longer even crosses my mind.
Alexis Chateau
While in college, I traveled abroad for 5 months per year. After graduating, I took the traditional route and landed a corporate job. My vacation time instantly dropped to two weeks per year. Raised in a family who both moves and travels a lot, I had never felt so restricted in my life. I quite literally thought I would go mad.
In the summer of 2015, I had had enough. I quit my job, gave up my apartment, sold and gave away all my things, found new homes for my pets, and went traveling. I lived as a nomad for 9 months, before settling in Atlanta, GA. I am originally from Jamaica, though Atlanta has been my second home for 14 years. Thus, my focus is more on working remotely than working specifically at home.
Though I hated working in corporate, I’m glad I took that chance, and got it out of my system early, so I don’t feel like I’m missing anything now. I went from crunching payroll numbers for Delta Airlines and Cigna Health to working with startups, nonprofits, and indie artists; and I wouldn’t go back to that life for anything.
Angie Atkinson
I originally decided to leave the corporate world when my middle son was born and the cost of daycare for a newborn made it almost pointless to keep a job that required it. Combined with the angst of leaving him with a sitter at only 8 weeks old, I decided to stay home. By the time he was 2, I’d left my office job.
While being a mom is awesome, we soon fell into a routine and I thought – hey, my brain feels neglected. Maybe I’ll start a blog.
And the rest is history. Today I’m spending my days doing what I love: creating content, coaching my clients and interacting with my community. I’ve got a staff of 3 and have moved from a corner in the living room of a 987 sq. ft house to a full blown office in a new home that is more than three times as spacious. Life is good!
And I get to do it all while being there for the kids. No worries on snow days or during summer break – they can stay home. Sick days? No drama. Mom’s here.
Note From Leslie
I wanted to work at home because I couldn’t afford to be a stay-at-home mom. As my kids grew older, and now they’re in college, I still work at home because I love the freedom and flexibility. But the adjustment does take some getting used to. Success at working at home requires a good work ethic and organization. You need to be honest and reliable. You need to be able to work independently. Working at home can be isolating and lonely. The truth is, it’s not for everyone. I’ve been able to make the adjustment and love being able to work from home. You need to assess whether or not you have the temperament and self-motivation to make working at home work for you too.
